Hello everyone,
I hope you are doing well and had a meaningful Veterans Day! With the temperatures quickly dropping I would like to remind you all that my office is available to assist with applications for heating assistance.
This year I had the honor of traveling across our district to celebrate Veterans Day with our community. From ceremonies in Westfield and Agawam to delivering thoughtful letters from local students to the residents at the Veterans Home in Holyoke, I am always so moved by how our community comes together to support our local veterans. To my fellow veterans, thank you for your service and for everything that you do!
On Tuesday, I joined the Westfield Police Commission in celebration of Chief Valliere’s retirement after 40 years of dedicated service to our community. I truly appreciate all the times the Chief picked up the phone to help me better understand the difficult and complex work that our local law enforcement does each day to keep our communities safe. Congratulations Chief!
Wednesday marked a special anniversary for the Holyoke Veterans Treatment Court, which celebrated its 80th program graduate. Veterans’ Treatment Courts are designed to handle certain low-level criminal cases involving defendants with military service. After pleading guilty, Veterans can be referred to Treatment Courts for intensive treatment including Vet to Vet mentorship, VA services, and more. It is truly incredible to hear firsthand how this program has changed so many lives over the last 10 years.
Later that day, I joined the City of Chicopee for a Veteran Town Hall to discuss the ways that the HERO Act expands services and resources for veterans, active-duty service members, and military families. I am grateful to the City of Chicopee and Veteran Service Officer Stephanie Shaw for organizing this important forum and inviting me to speak!
On Friday, I met with Agawam Public Schools and Boston Children’s Hospital to check in on the rollout of a new pilot program addressing youth mental health. With students reporting increasing mental health challenges, this program connects students in need with support right from their schools. I was proud to help secure funding for this program in last year’s budget following conversations with local youth during my “Let’s Talk About Mental Health” tour.
This week, I held office hours at the Chicopee and West Springfield COAs. Next week, Team Velis will be hosting office hours on Tuesday from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Easthampton COA and on Wednesday from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at the Holyoke COA.
If you can’t make it in person, feel free to reach out anytime at john.velis@masenate.gov or by phone at (413) 572-3920. You can also stay updated by signing up for my newsletter at senatorjohnvelis.com.
Best,
John